AUTISM and ASPERGER SYNDROME
What is autism?
Autism is a lifelong developmental disability that affects
the way a person communicates and relates to people around
them. Children and adults with autism are unable to relate
to others in a meaningful way. Their ability to develop
friendships is impaired as is their capacity to understand
other people's feelings.
People with autism can often have accompanying learning
disabilities but everyone with the condition shares a difficulty
in making sense of the world.
There is also a condition called Asperger syndrome which
is a form of autism used to describe people at the higher
functioning end of the autistic spectrum.
Reality to an autistic person is a confusing, interacting
mass of events, people, places, sounds and sights. There
seems to be no clear boundaries, order or meaning to anything.
A large part of my life is spent just trying to work out
the pattern behind everything.
What causes autism?
The exact cause or causes of autism is/are still not known
but research shows that genetic factors are important. It
is also evident from research that autism is associated
with a variety of conditions affecting brain development
which occur before, during, or very soon after birth.
Diet
Since the 1960s, when interest in the effects of diet and
vitamins on the treatment of autism began, there has been
much research carried out in this area, although not necessarily
into all diets and vitamins which could be of use. As with
all approaches to treating autism it is important to remember
that some will work with varying degrees of success in one
person, while not have any effect at all for another. It
is also important to stress that while experimenting with
vitamins and supplements is unlikely to result in any serious
side-effects, consultation with your doctor on any change
of diet is advisable. There are several organisations that
can help with a decision to use vitamins or diets in treating
autism and Aspergers syndrome and it would be useful to
consult these.
Vitamin B6/magnesium, who could
benefit?
Since the 1960s when Bernard Rimland initiated research
into the use of vitamin B6 alongside magnesium a high proportion
of people on the autistic spectrum have benefited from taking
more vitamin B6. It is important however, to recognise that
only those on the autistic spectrum with a need for Vitamin
B6 in particular will benefit from this treatment.
How successful has this diet proved? Have any studies been
carried out?
There have been around 20 published studies since 1965 and
vitamin B6 has proved beneficial to around 50% of those
involved. It is not fully understood why vitamin B6 is useful
in this way. If the treatment is going to be useful then
it should have an effect within a few days but if there
is no change in three to four weeks it should be stopped.
Is this treatment safe?
Thousands of autistic children have been administered vitamin
B6 since the 1960s without any signs of significant side-effects.
However, in 1983, Schaumburg reported a small number of
patients as suffering from numbness and tingling in the
hands and feet due to peripheral neuropathy. It should be
noted that these children were not taking magnesium which
should always be used when taking such high doses of vitamin
B6 so as to prevent side-effects due to vitaminotherapy
such as irritability, sound sensitivity, and enuresis. Also,
once the vitamin treatment was discontinued or markedly
reduced, all adverse symptoms disappeared completely.
Vitamin C, who could benefit?
Vitamin C helps us all by enabling our brains to function
properly although how it does this is still unknown. The
symptoms of vitamin C deficiency include depression and
confusion, both of which are symptoms common in autistic
people. Therefore, the idea is that autistic people would
in some cases benefit from vitamin C supplements.
How successful has this diet proved? Have any studies been
carried out?
Most people know that vitamin C is capable of fighting viruses
and bacteria, but these are not its only benefits. Two studies
into the effects of vitamin C supplements in autistic children
are of particular interest. The first ever test was carried
out in 1967 by Dr Bernard Rimland, where B3, B5, B6, and
C were administered. In this test, the benefits of using
vitamin C in autism were overshadowed by the apparent effectiveness
of vitamin B6. However, the dosage for vitamin C was very
low (1 to 3 grams per day) and therefore it would be wrong
to draw conclusions from this test.
The second study of vitamin C in autism was initiated by
Dolske et al in 1993. The study involved a thirty week double-blind
placebo-controlled trial of 52mg/lb per day in 18 autistic
children. The much higher dosage produced more favourable
results.
Is this treatment safe?
Vitamin C has been taken in quite high doses without any
major side effects. However, it can have a laxative effect
and if this should happen then it should stop being administered.
As with all these treatments it is essential that a medical
professional is consulted
Megson has suggested that natural vitamin A may help people
with autism, especially those with vision, sensory perception,
language processing, and attention problems. Vitamin A can
be found in cold water fish such as salmon, cod, liver,
kidney, and milk fat. A useful supplement to take may be
cod liver oil.
At present, it is not possible to verify this completely,
and so we suggest that her ideas be explored further through
her website or by writing to her using the addresses below.
Mary N Megson, MD, FAAP
Developmental Paediatrician
7229 Forest Avenue
Suite 211
Richmond, VA 23226
Fax 0804 673 9195
Website: www.megson.com/
Serotonin
Serotonin is a neuro-transmitter which acts on the brain
to influence motivation and mood. The observation that levels
of 5-HT (serotonin) were sometimes raised in children with
autism was first made in 1961 in a study by Schain and Freedman.
Their research found that in approximately 30% children
with autism, blood serotonin levels are significantly raised
(a condition known as hyperserotonemia). This finding has
been validated by many subsequent studies but the reasons
for it and the ways in which it can be treated have yet
to be identified. Further, the relationship between secretion
of neuro-transmitters and mood is more subtle than had been
previously supposed.
Several drugs have been tried to redress this problem, none
of which have been proved to be very successful although
some have reported some improvement. After treatment with
one of these drugs (fenfluramine) a group of autistic children
showed no reduction in their symptoms of autism nor with
any improvement in the intellectual or reasoning abilities.
Although its capability to reduce levels of obsessional
behaviour and in some cases social functioning was demonstrated.
With regards to diets which may be able to improve the levels
of serotonin in people on the autistic spectrum, there a
re a number of foods that contain high levels. The most
common foods are tomatoes, bananas, plums, pecan nuts (among
others) and pineapples. Alternatively, if the level of serotonin
need to be reduced then these foods could be avoided. Knivsberg
(1990) reported that some parents found that autistic episodes
increased when children ate certain foodstuffs (for example
bananas) which lends support to the hyperserotonemia case.
It is not clear what the effects of reducing serotonin in
the diet would be but if parents wish to experiment with
this then we recommend that a dietician or nutritionalist
is consulted to ensure that a balanced diet is maintained.
Useful Addresses/Contacts
Allergy-Induced Autism
8 Hollie Lucas Road
King’s Heath
Birmingham
B13 0QL
Chief Executive: Rosemary Kessick 01733 331771
Hon. Secretary: Meryl Nee 0121 444 6450
Information Courtesy of
The National Autistic Society
393 City Road
London EC1V 1NG
Telephone: 020 7833 2299
Fax: 020 7833 9666
Email: nas@nas.org.uk
For Further information visit the website:
The National Autistic Society
